Semi-final, here I come: Ashleigh Barty hits a return against Kiki Bertens in her Montreal quarter-final win on Friday

Montreal (AFP) - Australian 15th seed Ashleigh Barty reached the semi-finals of the Montreal WTA tournament on Friday, reeling off nine of the last 10 games to defeat giantkiller Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands 6-3, 6-1.

Barty was the more composed player in difficult, windy conditions as Bertens, who had seen off ninth seed Karolina Pliskova and eighth-seeded Petra Kvitova in her previous two matches, was undone by 31 unforced errors in the 55-minute quarter-final.

Barty has reached the semi-finals on her Montreal debut having made the last 16 when the event was held in Toronto last year.

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"It was really tricky conditions and we were both struggling a little," Barty said in her on-court interview.

"I'm very happy to come through and get a little bit better during the match."

The world number 16 will face either top seed and Roland Garros champion Simona Halep or French sixth seed Caroline Garcia for a place in the final.